WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Systems thinking: a cautionary tale (cats in Borneo)

🤷‍♀️ Welcome back to WTF (“What the Failure”) Wednesday where I share different examples of failure in international development, aid, and poverty alleviation writ large.

👉 The goal is not to point fingers, but to resurface learnings so we don’t all make the same mistakes.

🐝 Last night I introduced another generation of Georgia Tech Institute for Leadership and Social Impact students to systems thinking.

🤭 While I was looking for background readings, I came across this amazing (mostly true?) story about the unintended consequences of doing good. In this case, an attempt to stop malaria led to the plague and famine (and some terrified cats). It highlights the importance of locally led solutions, and understanding context.

🙀 See this short video above “Operation Cat Drop: A Cautionary Tale”

🦟 You can read more about the story here.

🫠 Want to avoid unintended consequences? Try the pre-mortem process.

#Malaria #WTF #Indonesia #PublicHealth